Carnal Grip
by Erybis
Summary: Mahora Academy is on the verge of becoming the main battlefield between all of hell, against two of it's peacekeepers. Negi Springfield and Mahora Girls' Jr. High Class 2/3-A must stand their ground and help defeat them, or risk a fate worse than death. Rated M for possible sexual situations. Also contains two OCs.
1. Chapter 1

I gazed at the behemoth of a school, one that required it's own island. My companion whispered a warning in my ear, in her constantly seductive tone.

"Leo, remember: no attention. We go in, work our magic on that silly little demon, and get out."

I nodded, focused on my goal. Bel would infiltrate the school in her own manner, and hopefully she won't need to use me. But the wizard and the vampire would prove to be interesting. Mahora Academy might be a challenge.

* * *

Negi Springfield rose from his slumber, contented by his rest. Today was the day that a new student was joining his class. Strangely enough, she was bringing along a bodyguard with her, something Negi had not expected. Asuna Kagurazaka remained in a state of unconsciousness, muttering in her sleep.

"No, Takahara... I'm always here for you... Take me!"

Negi jumped, disturbed by Asuna's talk. He whispered a quick incantation, levitating and dropping Asuna gently, but hard enough to wake her up.

"AAAGHH, I'm awake!"

She sprang out of bed, waking up their other roommates.

"Ugh, you guys just can't let a peaceful morning happen, can you?"

Setsuna Sakurazaki, groggy from the rude awakening, stood up carefully, her balance perfect like always. She turned to her charge, who was the first one ready out all of them. Konoka Konoe giggled at her friends' difficulty with mornings, something she didn't have.

"Let's go, we're almost late!"

* * *

I followed Bel, keeping in pace with her quick swaggering step. I hated her idea, I hated this place, and I hated the damn hellspawn that decided to set up here. An all girls school, so many chances at pain, their's or mine.

"Damn."

I stopped, hit by a tidal wave of sensory memory. The moaning, the heat, the feeling of her skin on-

"Kai? Having those naughty nightmares, again?"

Bel grinned her sadistic smile, delighting in my misery, and pressed her body against mine.

"I'll help you forget..."

"No! Don't touch me!"

I shoved her away, now completely on edge. She simply giggled, but she let slip some pain in her eyes. I hurt her feelings. That doesn't happen often.

"Kai, you should learn to accept it. Don't try and run away."

I shook my head vigorously, and started to walk quickly ahead, eager to get to my destination, if only for the safety away from HER. Bel followed, silent and brooding for the rest of the walk. We reached the classroom, with not a soul in site in the halls. That was good. If anyone had seen our little exchange, that might've been bad. I took a deep breath, waiting for Bel to catch up, listening to the laughter inside the classroom.

"Are you ready, Kai?"

"Let's just get it over with."

* * *

Negi shuffled his papers, plans that he had made for the day. As he concentrated on preparing himself, there was a knock on the door.

"I guess that's the new student, and her friend."

Kazumi Asakura perked up, hearing a potential scoop. She readied her camera, excited for the new arrival. Negi opened the door, and studied his new student and her guardian. The girl had pale skin and strangely enough, snow-white hair, complimented by golden eyes. The first thing that stood out was her large bust, which peaked out from her partially unbuttoned shirt. The uniform was almost too small, showing off her hourglass figure. She was of average height, and she wore a permanent smirk of pride. Her protector looked about 16 or 17, and was just slightly taller than Negi's own tallest student, Mana Tatsumiya. His hair was a dense black, and his eyes were a piercing light blue. Negi was taken aback by the two new arrivals, and Kazumi was too stunned to take pictures. The room was completely silent, as the class studied the strange duo. For Negi, it wasn't their appearance that surprised him. It was the strange energy that each of them radiated. It was familiar, but at the same time, completely different than anything he had felt before.

"Well? Are you going to let us in?"

Bel, impatient with the child in front of her, pushed her way inside, leaving Kai to deal with the aftermath. He helped Negi up, apologizing for his companion.

"I'm sorry, she can be very rude sometimes."

Negi, still deep in thought, thanked Kai.

"It's quite all right. I have a friend who's the same way."

Meanwhile, Bel was confronted by an enraged Ayaka Yukihiro, while the rest of the class watched in fear.

"How dare you treat the teacher like that! I demand you apologize, right now!"

Bel snorted in derision, and opened her mouth for a retort, only to be stopped by Kai.

"Bel! Apologize, NOW!"

She sighed, muttering a sorry in the wizard's direction, and made for an empty spot in the corner of the room. Negi snapped out of his trance, turning to address the class.

"Girls, these two are our new students, or rather, one is, and the other is her bodyguard."

He looked at Bel, expectant of an introduction. She rolled her eyes, standing up.

"My name is Bel Liale. I am 15 years old, came here because my parents wanted me to, bla bla bla."

She sat back down, ignoring the looks of disbelief. The girls whispered among themselves, already making up their mind about the terrible girl. Negi shifted his attention to the bodyguard, waiting for him to give his name as well. Kai cleared his throat, keeping his eyes focused on a blank patch of wall beyond the girls.

"My name is Kai Fukuda. I'm Bel's protector. Pleased to meet all of you."

He accompanied this with a bow, which the girls appreciated greatly. Kazumi trained her camera on him, hypnotized by his striking features. She found herself taking way too many pictures. and the sound of the shutter was too loud. Kai stared at the young photographer, his face unreadable. He looked away, walking over to stand by Bel. The class started, but Kazumi couldn't get one question out of her head: Who were they?

* * *

As the wizard taught the class, I left that room behind to retreat into my mind. So many girls, it's bad, bad, bad. I needed to finish this quickly. Fast and efficient, like always. Without casualties, if I can help it. That photographer seems like a nosy person; I wonder if I'll have to do something about that. I thought of the other students, calling back the mental snapshot I took when I first entered the classroom. One of the girls was cleaning a large rifle. Another was a vampire, judging by her malevolent aura. Several were former vampiric servants. Multiple assorted abnormalities. And, of course, almost all had a pactio with the boy. Damn it, this might be a hornets nest, a massacre just waiting to happen. I couldn't let Bel unleash IT while they were around.

"Kai?"

I exited my reflective state, greeted with the site of Negi's face, and an empty classroom.

"Are you ok? You were zoning out, for a while."

How strange. Why the concern for my state of being?

"I'm... fine. Where is the rest of the class?"

"Ah, their periods are over. I think they have physical education. Would you like me to show you the way?"

The school was still a mystery to me, so I accepted his offer, following him out the door.

That damn new girl! How dare she shove Negi down? Ayaka glowered at the new arrival, who was reclined on a spot in the bleachers, watching the field with little interest. Ayaka picked up the stray ball lying beside her, her eyes lighting up with glee. She readied it, and her arm snapped forward, the ball shooting out like it was from a cannon. The ball caught Bel square in her face, knocking her back, satisfying Ayaka's rage. Bel shot back up, her composure lost, out for blood, and for a second, her skin seemed... red.

"You bitch! I'm going to tear all that hair off your spoiled, pretty, little head!"

Meanwhile, Asuna watched from afar, laughing at the entire exchange. She observed as Bel leaped from the stands, tackling Ayaka to the ground. They were really going at it, and the longer it was drawn out, the more brutal it became. Asuna was getting worried.

"Hey, quit it, guys! This is way too much!"

She reached out toward Ayaka, trying to tug her off. Ayaka lashed out, knocking Asuna into the bleachers, slamming her head and falling unconscious. Meanwhile, Bel was barely fending off the crazy girl. Looking into Ayaka's eyes, she realized what was wrong.

"Kai! Kai! Please, help me!"

I heard Bel's voice as clear as day, and I broke into a sprint towards the source. Negi barely kept up, also worried about the cause of distress. I reached the track field, the fight coming into view, and realized the problem. I turned to Negi, who was just catching up.

"Bind her! Bind Ayaka, now!"

He was confused, hesitant by the entire situation. I grabbed him by the shoulders, looking him straight in the eye.

"DO IT NOW!"

He complied, whispered an incantation, and the possessed student was momentarily paralyzed by magical ropes.

Bel ran toward me, and I braced for what she had to do. Ugh, I couldn't stand this part. She almost jumped on top of me, meeting my lips, and gave herself to me, her soul touching mine. I pushed her off, feeling the changes begin. The hellion was about to run free.

* * *

Negi watched Kai change, his skin splitting apart and hardening into red scales. His fingers ruptured from the claws that took their place, and his mouth became a maw of black, glistening fangs. His eyes took the form of glowing orange fireballs, and large, jagged horns burst from his head. Kai was a monster. He roared, his guttural call ripping through the air. He turned to the helpless Ayaka, almost looking hungry. Negi was afraid, realizing that he had unleashed a beast on his own student.

"Kai, no! Please, don't hurt her!"

Kai didn't listen, trudging toward his prey. Negi sprang into action, trying to bind Kai as well. But his magic was having no effect. He instead charged at the monster, only to be batted aside. Kai stood over Ayaka, and raised his hand, about to bring it down and rend her in two. Instead, it slashed the air above her, a hole appearing where he made his cut. Kai reached in, grabbing hold of the demon latched onto Ayaka's spirit. He tore it out, slamming it onto the ground, forcing it to manifest into it's weaker form.

Kai pierced the demon with his hand, who screamed and forced him back. He instead wrapped his arms around it, squeezing it in a violent embrace. The demon chuckled, slipping into Kai's body like a glove. But it was Kai's turn to laugh, as he began to absorb it. The demon shrieked, feeling it's essence being added to the already large collection of seeds of sin. Negi watched all of it with fear, and as Kai finished and began to return to his human form, he assumed a defensive position. But instead of walking to Negi, Kai went in the opposite direction, toward the forest.

"Wait, Kai! I need to ask you wh-"

"LEAVE ME ALONE."

Negi stopped in his tracks, slightly afraid of the rage filled voice.

"But I need to know happened."

Kai turned, and showed a face that still contained traces of his hellish form.

"COME NEAR ME, AND I'LL RIP YOU APART."

He resumed his walk, and Negi stood there, frozen by the surge of new events. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, and he turned to see Bel, with Asuna and Ayaka behind her. Negi noticed her almost complete change, her skin now red, her tail, and the small horns nestled in her still white hair.

"I'll tell you everything."

* * *

I hate this. I hate all of it. Every time a new one joins, they all get excited. My body is starting to feel like a fragile cage. Wrath always makes me feel like I'm breaking apart. I scratched at the shrunken, but still present horns. Almost instantly, blood began to seep down. My hands are still claws, I see.

"What is a hell-beast doing here, I wonder?"

The voice came from behind me, the accent refined and similar to the boy wizard's. I looked over my shoulder, treated to the sight of a pale, blonde little girl.

"I could ask the same, vampire."

She smiled, the same leer that most vampires seem to share.

"You seem you like you're having trouble keeping your form. Trying to pass as human?"

"I AM HUMAN!"

Fire began to burn the grass around my feet, my anger seeping out into the real world.

"No, you're not. Maybe you used to be, but you're tainted."

I dashed toward her, swiping at her head. She crouched, shooting a spell into my ribcage, and I felt the fingers of ice creep into my heart, and the familiar crunch of broken ribs.

"Sleep for now, and you'll tell me everything later, hellspawn..."

* * *

"What are you, Bel?"

She sighed, faced with Negi, Asuna, and Ayaka, all looking for answers.

"I am a succubus. I mean, look at this body. I can't be anything else, right?"

She giggled, and Negi blushed, feeling better that the attraction he felt was nothing more than a magical charm.

"Not just any old succubus, though. I've been tasked with retrieving the Cardinal Sins."

Bel reclined against her chair, unbuttoning her tight shirt to breathe better, and almost sent the young wizard into cardiac arrest. She smirked, brushing his cheek with her tail, only to be batted away by a protective Asuna.

"I was chosen by my master, down in the Inferno. Mind you, he's not evil like you humans depict him. He's more of a warden for a prison."

Ayaka looked frightened, remembering the uncontrollable anger that took over.

"What was inside me?"

"Wrath. A seed, so you'll be fine. If he had remained in your body any longer, he would of bloomed and made your body his own."

She leaned forward, giving the three an eyeful.

"You're lucky that Kai was there. Find a way to make it up to him."

Asuna was confused by that last comment, having watched the duo closely since they arrived.

"I thought you didn't care much about him."

The succubus played with her hair, avoiding eye contact.

"Well, Kai is... Well, he's a very good person."

She sighed, sadness evident.

"He takes them all in, you know? All the seeds and demons we fight, he stores them all inside. He's just a human, too. I'm the one that gives him his powers."

Negi thought back to the way Kai had shoved Bel after the kiss, interested in why he acted that way.

"How does that work, anyway?"

Bel looked a bit happy, thinking about it.

"The more intimate the physical contact, the stronger he is. He'd be at his best if he let me have my fun with him, but..."

She wrung her hands, looking nervous.

"Kai was... well, something happened to him. He won't tell me by whom, but he hates physical intimacy. In essence, he hates me, the very embodiment of sexuality."

At that moment, Bel looked crestfallen, and Ayaka figured it out.

"You love him."

Bel laughed, bitterness and envy present and account for.

"I'm pretty bad at my job, huh? Succubi aren't supposed to fall in love. We're supposed to seduce others. I don't know why, but something is really wrong with me. I'm no supposed to feel. It all started with him."

Asuna couldn't help the small chuckle that came out.

"He sounds perfect."

Bel cast a murderous glance at her, and continued.

"He gives himself up for everyone. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was an angel. But he's simply human. Except, that's not even the case."

The demoness looked guilty, and for moment, she had a haunted look in her eye.

"Because of all that's inside him, it's corrupted him. He's screwed up, and his humanity is slowly disappearing. The only thing that remains untouched is his soul. Broken, but pure and filled with light."

Negi took it all in, the new information overwhelming.

"I have one last question. Why are you here?"

Bel became dead serious, all playfulness and irrelevant emotions cast aside.

"Something is coming. It's big, the largest threat we've ever fought against. For some reason, it's coming here.

* * *

I woke to the sounds of distress, greeted by the sight of my vampire hostess coughing up a near black substance, the stuff that seemed to pass for my blood now.

"Didn't taste so delicious, did it?"

She continued her fit, and I watched another person enter the room. She had the strangest attachments to her head, looking like antennae from a robot.

"Are you fine, Mistress? Shall I fetch you something to drink?"

The vampire shook her head, the last of the blood out of her system.

"You're not human. But you're not a demon."

She adopted a rigid posture, and glared at me.

"Do you have anything to say?"

I stared back, daring her to make the first move. She let out a sigh, tired of the hostility.

"I am Evangeline Athanasia Katherine McDowell. As you know, I am a vampire. You are currently on my property, and will be subject to my rules. Now tell me who you are."

I mulled it over, considering my options. She seemed powerful, even for a vampire, so escape without is Bel is outright impossible. There was her friend, somewhere in the house, who I had no idea about. Staying quiet doesn't look like it will yield a good outcome.

"My name is Kai Futoshi. I don't know what I am anymore, so my guess is that I am human. I'll only answer your questions when you answer mine. First, who's your friend?"

Evangeline giggled, her guest's ignorance entertaining to her.

"That is Chachamaru, my robotic servant. She'll stop you if you try and run away."

She cleared her throat, the corrupted blood still giving her trouble.

"How is it that you have tainted blood, yet you still stand here, looking healthy?"

"I don't know."

I didn't want to talk about with her, of all people. The secret is solely for the people I trust.

"When can I leave?"

"After I am thoroughly satisfied. What is your purpose?"

I growled in anger, done with being her prisoner. I stood up, walking calmly to the door, interrupted by laughter.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You won't make it far."

I ignored her warning, darting out into a lush, dark forest. I sprinted, hearing a pursuer catch up to me at high speed. The robot grasped my arm and stopped, yanking back as hard as possible. I heard a sickening pop, my shoulder dislocated. I yelled in pain, my arm limp in the robot's hand. I felt my blood boil, and I turned, destruction on my mind. I swung with my right arm at her, but Chachamaru dodged, weaving to the right and slamming her hand into my elbow. I felt that lodged out of place, too. Both my arms were disabled, and my attacker hadn't even been fazed by the whole thing.

"Let him go, Chachamaru."

She turned, focused on the voice of her mistress. Evangeline had a calculating look on her face, having analyzed the situation.

"I have a feeling he didn't come here alone."

I ignored her, limping my way forward. There was no way I would be able to put my arms back into place without Bel. As I vanished into the forest, Eva was deep in thought.

"He has no powers on his own; and yet, why do I feel such strength from him?"

* * *

Ako Izumi was resting on a bench, located just before the forest started, when Kai limped through the woods. She had just gotten a break from her position as the school nurse's assistant, and intended to spend the break listening to the choir of dusk, as sang by the birds. She did plan to get an hour of soccer in, but decided she was too tired. She let out a sigh, laying her head back and looking at the golden sky.

"It's beautiful."

As she observed the fading colors, Kai dragged himself over, falling onto the bench, surprising Ako. She glanced over, just barely noticing the boy.

"Hah... you like sunsets, huh?"

He was panting. Strange. Ako nodded, absorbed by the molten heavens.

"I... don't mean to bother you... but could you take... me to the nurse?"

She looked over, finally taking a comprehensive look, and uttered a small scream. Kai was almost completely covered by bruises, and frostbite was evident on his chest, where the skin was beginning to peel. His arms were hanging at awkward angles, and the sight of them sent waves of nausea through Ako's stomach. She couldn't move, almost paralyzed by seeing that much damage.

"You can't, huh? Damn."

He slumped against the bench, laboring for breath. An idea struck out of nowhere, and he grimaced, knowing it was probably his only option.

"Girl!"

Ako visibly shook, and was obviously scared of him, now.

"Y-Yes?"

"Go get Bel. The new girl. Now."

"Ok!"

She tripped as she ran, her mind in a rush from seeing all of that.

Kai sat back, waiting for his 'savior' to arrive. He sighed, his mind shutting down and falling into slumber.

Satomi Hakase, watched all this from the window, intrigued by the dying boy. It was unethical, dangerous, and it crossed and broke way too many boundaries. As grim as it may be, what Satomi Hakase had in mind was his only hope.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up on a metal slab, feeling groggy, but pain free. My whole body felt disjointed, out of sync, and I had a strange absence of feeling in my left arm. I then realized why: my left shoulder were gone.

"ARGH!"

"Calm down. I saved your life and improved you, too."

I turned to see a spectacled girl in a lab coat, another of that kid's students. She was smiling, confident in her work, and didn't expect me to grab her and raise her up off the ground.

"What did you do?"

I had to retain some level of composure, as Wrath was slipping. She wasn't even fazed by my reaction, grinning.

"Put me down, and I'll tell you."

I did as she told, setting her down gently. She started by pointing at my left arm.

"Someone had ripped that out so hard that the shoulder-blade and socket were essentially done for. So I replaced your arm with a artificial one, almost the same model as that of the only individual that would have been able to do that to your arm in the first place."

She narrowed her eyes, expecting me to confess, but I refused to say anything.

"Anyway, it's pretty strong, and it's partially linked to your biological system, allowing for repairs to be made by your own cells. It's a little something I like to call 'Dragon's Teeth'. It's alive in its own way."

She jabbed me in my chest, but what surprised me was the fact that I felt nothing.

"Your rib cage was almost completely destroyed, so I replaced it with a flexible silicon-titanium alloy that regenerates the same way as your arm. I tried to replace your heart, too, but it was impossible. I was worried about blood loss, but it kept pumping regardless of what I did to it."

The scientist avoided my eyes, the next bit of news hard for her to tell me.

"Your body was degrading very fast. Almost like it was rotting. I had to replace a lot of it with new parts. They're all good, I assure you! Living in their own way, seeing as I was testing a new material."

She grabbed my new hand, briefing me about its potential, eager to not talk about my full reconstruction.

"This hand can change into many things. Any kitchen utensil, done. Any tool, that too. Its capabilities are almost endless, as long as you learn what to make it into, the only exception being firearms. Your arm doesn't like fire. In fact, a lot of you won't like fire, thought that's normal, right?"

She finally rapped me on the side of the head.

"To control it all, I installed a neural interface that links the new nerves to your limbic system. It'll allow you to take full advantage of all of everything, and I even was kind enough to add in a feature that will better help you control your cells, and coincidentally, your regeneration."

This was all so overwhelming. I was a freak, even more so than before.

"Why'd you do this?"

She straightened her glasses, the look on her face tinged with an unknown emotion.

"You were almost dead. I had to. If I hadn't of intervened, you would have been nothing but a decomposing corpse, albeit one that decomposed at a much faster pace."

I stared down at my left palm, the doll joints reminding of a puppet's hand. The irony was astounding.

"What's your name?"

"Satomi Kakase."

She intrigued me, but her callous disregard for boundaries kept me from liking her. I turned away, taking a few shaky steps toward the door.

"Thanks, I guess. This is still abnormal, though."

Satomi laughed, not caring for my cold disposition.

"Of course it is, Kai. But you're pretty far from normal, aren't you?"

I cast one more glance at the scientist, and left.

* * *

"Where have you been?"

Bel was furious with me, a rare occurrence in her otherwise relaxed personality.

"What's with your arm? Why couldn't you let me heal you?"

She was pacing like mad, her anger vented at her surroundings.

"I don't even want to know! We have even bigger problems. We have to move into this room with two girls. I think one of them is named Chizuru Naga, or something."

I sighed, a headache beginning to blossom.

She sank into a chair, exasperated by the whole situation.

"I don't get along with anyone here. They're all so... ugh."

"You didn't lose an arm. So stop complaining. Also, you can actually try being a lot nicer.

After that, silence hung in the air. Hours passed, and we both sat up at the same time, knowing full well we had to go to our new room.

"Here, you go, Bel. I need to find another place to sleep."

She looked worried, having overcome her anger.

"Are you going to be ok? Are you sure you won't need any... company?"

That last question was spoken with a shy smile, and her lust was obvious.

"No."

I slunk out of the room, noticing it was harder and harder to look Bel in the eyes. What the hell is wrong with me?

* * *

Bel packed the few things she had, letting both sadness and disgust wash over her. She stared at the small mirror she owned, questions running through her mind.

"Why does he hate me so much? And why do I care?"

Bel closed the door behind her as she left her small, temporary room, and headed toward her new residence. When she got there, she knocked on the door, determined to be more pleasant with the other students. Chizuru Naba answered the door, expecting Bel, greeting her with a smile.

"Come in, come in. We've been waiting."

Bel was cautious, her initial reaction to not trust her host, she walked inside, spotting Ayaka, a young boy, and a short, prepubescent girl. The boy went from looking bored to extremely interested, eyeing the new guest. He was swiftly interrupted by a punch from the nameless girl beside him. Chizuru stood to the side, motioning to the two of them.

"These two are Natsumi and Kotarou Murakami. They also live with us. I assume you've already met Ayaka?"

Instead of an air of hostility, Bel was friendly toward Ayaka, and the feeling was mutual.

"Yeah, I do."

She looked down at her feet, a bit embarrassed by her earlier behavior.

"I'm, ah, sorry for the whole thing that happened in class, today. I was quite rude."

Chizuru lit up, embracing a surprised Bel.

"It's perfectly fine, Bel. Moving to a new school can be very hard."

The succubus was taken aback by the statement, and on reflex, pulled back.

"It's alright, I... move around, a lot. So I get used to it."

Natsumi stood up, finally taking in the new occupant, and partially blocked Kotarou's view of her as well.

"You really are beautiful, Bel! You barely look like someone who's 15."

Bel shifted, uneasy from being put on the spot.

"Yes, well, I'm a little tired, so may I rest?"

Everyone in the room snapped up, realizing they were keeping her from her rest. Kotarou jump at the opportunity to be polite.

"You can have my bed! It's big enough, of course."

Bel nodded, and Kotarou's eyes never left her while she se her things down by the bed, until she went to the bathroom to change. He crept toward the door, hoping for a peek, only to be dragged off by Natsumi. Chizuru scolded him, frustrated with this new behavior.

"What's wrong with you? You're acting like a pervert!"

Ayaka watched, the only one aware of the unintentional effect that Bel had on men. She hugged herself, still shaken by that horrible thing that had possessed her. How could she have turned into such a beast? The light went off after Bel changed into pajamas, and everyone settled into their beds, Kotarou opting to sleep in the same bed with Chizuru. Bel lie there, Kai's look rejection still fresh in her mind. She whispered a plea, unaware of one person still awake.

"Please love me back, Kai."

* * *

I was on the roof of the dorm building, slumped against the door, protected from the rain by a small shelter I had comprised out of cardboard boxes. My feet were out in the rain, and the water felt good on the burnt soles. I couldn't sleep, though. It was one of those nights, where my dreams would remain far from my mind's grasp. I studied my new appendage once more.

"I look like a doll."

I practiced syncing my thoughts with it, detaching and reattaching my fingers. I turned them into knives, scissors, screwdrivers, all manner of tools. It then struck me, what I had lost.

"Another part of my humanity, missing."

I disconnected the arm from the shoulder socket, throwing it aside.

"I refuse to be further degraded into an abomination."

At that moment, the sound of careful footsteps put me on alert. I looked over my shelter, spotting the robot servant. I readied my assault... realizing I would lose without my arm.

"Damn."

I snatched it up, putting it back into place, and got into position. As I was about to strike, I wondered why she was here, alone, without her master. I leapt down, and in free-fall, saw why: Cats. I hit the ground hard, my ungraceful landing caused by my hesitation. Chachamaru turned, her expression one of surprise, and got into a defensive position.

"Are you intent on engaging me?"

I got up, checking for broken bones, and found none.

"No. I don't like doing anything unnecessary, and it looks like your master isn't here."

She remained in combat stance, but shifted back to normal.

"Your arm is missing, and has been replaced."

"You broke it hard enough for repair to be impossible."

She blinked a few times, her face unreadable.

"My apologies. My intent was to disable, not to cripple. My margin of error is extremely small in all cases. This is one of few times where I have made a mistake."

I nodded, a part of me not caring in the least for my handicap.

"I am nothing but a tool, regardless. I only hunt demons. I have no other purpose."

She continued to study me, intrigued by my words and mannerisms.

"You and I are alike."

I shrugged, smiling at the robot.

"You can have a semblance of a life, though. Me, I'm just doomed to die."

A cat brushed by my legs, purring and expressing affection. Chachamaru had a small smile on her face, something a bit confusing. Could she feel emotions?

"Robot, can you feel?"

She affixed her gaze on me, responding after a few moments of silence.

"I don't know. My creators say I might have a soul, due to the magic that was implemented in my creation, and glitches in my programming."

"Interesting."

I crouched down, stroking the cat, and felt it purr in satisfaction.

"I sincerely hope we won't have to fight, again. You're not a malevolent being, from what I can tell."

I stood up, offering my artificial hand. She stared at it, and took the handshake, nodding.

"I wish to avoid further conflict, also. I do warn that my mistress might wish otherwise."

"Let's just hope that doesn't happen, then."

* * *

Kazumi was frantic and near-delirious, having spent most of her night at her computer.

"Nothing! It's like he doesn't exist at all!"

Kazumi had scoured the Internet for info, and came up with nothing. The only thing she could do now was post his picture on a few select sites, and hope for a bite.

"Ugh. I don't feel like going to school today."

She fell face-first into her bed, her exhaustion overtaking her. That was the moment the dream began.

A creature sat at a throne of wealth, eyeing the young girl in front of him. He had a grin of inhuman proportions, delighted by his new opportunity. She came to her senses, rising from the floor.

"Where am I?"

The thing stood up, hunching over to look Kazumi in the eyes.

"You came here wanting something, yes?"

She blinked, still dazed in the dream.

"Yeah. I really want to know about the new student. Kai."

The fiend laughed, patting his prey on the head.

"Ah, secrets. I get few requests for such things. Usually it's all material goods, money, possessions. But secrets? Might be a bit more tricky, but I can get them nonetheless."

Kazumi was charmed by the creature and his domain, nodding in a state of bliss.

"Yeah, please, if you can help me, that'd be great."

He put a finger under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him.

"For a price."

Kazumi felt like something was wrong, but she couldn't resist those golden, glowing eyes.

"What price?"

He let out another chuckle, the same way an arrogant man does when he is sure of winning.

"Just a kiss, my dear. Nothing less."

There was an urge of rebellion welling up inside of the girl, a voice screaming of danger. She looked more focused for a second, but fell back into her trance.

"Ok. I'll do it."

The last thing she felt was his lips clamping forcefully onto her's, before she was thrown into darkness once more.

* * *

Kazumi found herself on the ground again, this time in what looked like a rundown shack. A boy was in the corner, holding his knees close and rocking back and forth. He was whispering to himself, and Kazumi went closer, trying to hear.

"Please, please, please, don't let him come in here, please, please, please..."

He kept chanting this over and over again, and the photographer moved away, slightly startled. From behind her, the door burst open.

"Get over here, you fucking brat."

A man came in, dressed nicely, but his enraged expression didn't match at all.

"I took you in, fed you, clothed you, and you've been complaining about your customers? Do you think I enjoy putting up with little snots like you?"

He stepped closer, and passed through a scared Kazumi, like a ghost.

"I have so many kids that work for me, and they don't complain at all. They're grateful for everything. But you, YOU, all you do is bitch and moan about how those women touch you!"

He grabbed the young boy, revealing a younger version of Kai, a strikingly handsome kid. He slammed his hand into Kai's face, taking out all his frustration.

"You bring in most of my money, you understand? I would beat the shit out of you, if it wasn't for this pretty little face."

He threw Kai against the wall, done for the moment.

"I have ONE girl left. She's loaded, and she specifically asked for you to come to her house every weekend. I SWEAR that if you screw this up, you'll be face-down in a gutter somewhere."

The man left, the door barely holding after being slammed so hard a second time. Kazumi had fallen, terrified by the violence. She looked over at Kai, who didn't cry, didn't look angry; he looked shattered. He rubbed the welt on his face, and curled up into fetal position. Before the memory ended, Kazumi heard one last thing.

"Save me, someone."


	3. Chapter 3

The school came alive in the morning, bustling with busy students going about their morning. Bel walked with the girls to class, leaving Kotarou to his own devices. Kai was nowhere to be seen, but Bel thought she knew where she might be able to find him.

"Hey Chizuru, does this school have a room for music?"

"Yes, of course. Let me show you."

They found him, studying the various instruments in the music classroom, in the process of picking up a violin. He held the bow in his artificial hand, and rested his chin on the violin, getting his right hand into position. The sound that came out when he played, though, was horrible. Painful, broken, and reminiscent of a melody. Chizuru put he hands over her ears, distressed by the damaging notes.

"Make it stop, it hurts!"

"Kai, we need to go."

He hunched over, rocking back and forth, and continued that screech, fiddling faster and more viciously. Bel stepped forward, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Kai, please, stop doing this."

The noise stopped, short of its culmination, and he turned, looking fine.

"What's wrong?"

The worry was written all over her face, but Bel let it slide, just for the moment.

"We're going to class. Come on."

* * *

Evangeline's mouth watered, the thirst for blood unusually strong. She prepared for night, her usual arrangement with Negi Springfield far from her mind. Eva would engorge herself on the students of Mahora, tonight. She had to satisfy her hunger, after all. And even after her thirst was quenched, who said she had to stop there?

"Chachamaru, prepare for a feast. I'm hungry."

Her servant was slightly worried, her master's behavior extremely unlike her.

"Master, this is simply a question, but you seem ill. Are you sure about this? I assumed you already had sated your thirst."

The little girl snapped, her eyes blazing.

"I don't care! I'm starving, and I want to engorge myself tonight. Don't ever question me!"

"Yes, master."

Chacha's master drooled, in agony over the wait.

"I can't wait for the moon tonight. I've been waiting for soooooo long."

She started to grind her teeth, and glances at Chacha.

"Bring me an appetizer. NOW."

The gynoid was confused by this new request, as it was something completely new.

"An appetizer? Do you want some soup, or-"

Eva slapped her servant's face, angered, and left a deep claw mark.

"Are you stupid? Bring me a deer, alive, if you can handle that simple task, you idiot."

Chachamaru was, for the first time, conflicted. Her master had never struck her in seriousness, and her behavior was abnormal, acting in a way the gynoid had never seen. Eva had never been dominated by her thirst, until she was near starvation, yet she had fed just a few days ago. For the first time ever, Chachamaru was considering the option of disobeying.

* * *

Negi was packing his things, getting ready to go back to his dorm, when he sensed something familiar.

"That feels like Evangeline. I guess she's hungry."

He left the building, preferring to get it over with as fast as possible. He was greeted by the sight of Eva bent over, drinking deeply from the neck of an unconscious Haruna Saotami.

"Evangeline!"

She stood up, turned and hissed at the wizard, revealing a radically changed appearance. The vampire's teeth had grown, and her lower jaw had also developed fangs. Her hair was wild and overgrown, and her nails were sharpened to almost resemble claws. Judging from the pallor of Haruna's face, Eva had drained much if her blood in the short time she was feeding. Chachamaru was nowhere to be found.

"Get away from her!"

Negi cast a spell to shove the bestial vampire back, running toward his student. But Eva was quick to recover, dashing toward the wizard. Out of nowhere, someone crashed into Eva, knocking her down. Kaede got ready to try and fight the crazed girl. She turned to Negi, desperate for some sort of order in a situation she had never faced.

"Negi, what do I do?"

Eva took that hesitation to attack, assaulting Kaede with slashes, and ended with a slam to the ground. Negi was conflicted, too overpowered.

"Hey!"

Kai stared the vampire straight in the eye, challenging her.

"How about me? Take my blood, instead."

Eva glanced at the wizard and the defenseless boy, eventually choosing the option that would get her less trouble. She tackled Kai, drinking the foul, contaminated blood that she had coughed up just a few days before. Kai went limp, wrapping an arm around the girl.

"That's right, drink up."

He was weakening, slowly, as his heart struggled to pump the blood being lost. After a few minutes, Negi had taken away his students, and Eva had begun to fully taste what she drank. She went into a coughing fit, vomiting up the black stuff that was making her weak. Kai stood up, weak himself, but strong enough to stand, hunched over.

"Kai!"

He looked over at Negi and Bel, running to reach them.

"Negi, please, bind her."

Bel was frantic, seeing the blood dribble out from the four gaping holes in his neck.

"Kai, are you ok?"

He didn't answer, wincing.

"Just... come on, kiss me."

He tensed as Bel locked lips with him, the passion more intense than two days ago. The changes were instantaneous, and stronger than last time, as well. Kai closed his eyes, resigned to embrace the monster. Until, well, the complications arose.

* * *

My hands grew into talons, huge and sharp. My shoulders became bigger to deal with them, also giving me a hunchback. That was when I noticed it, though. My artificial hand started to grow, turning green. It melded with the rest of my body, and soon, I was a mess of flame and plants. The upper right side of my face became wooden, my eye reduced to a glowing orb in darkness. My chest burst out, tree limbs wrapping around my torso. My right leg became a trunk, ending with roots. The rest of my body grew scales and spines, and turned into its usual demonic visage. Bel was riveted, fascinated by the changes.

"You look almost... cute."

A couple of flowers peeked out of my right 'shoulder blade', an embarrassing little addition.

"Yeah, I look real gorgeous."

I was forced on all fours, the sheer weight of my awkward form eliminating the option of bipedal walk. Evangeline got rid of the last of the blood, casting off the bindings like they were nothing, and hissed at me. I roared, challenging her, and leapt forward, trying to hold her down. She slipped out from under me, trying to bite through the scales to tear out my throat. I ripped off some of the vines hanging from my arm, and restrained her with them. They were unusually strong, keeping her tied up. I raised my left hand, about to rip a tear to her soul, until something shoved me away. Chachamaru stood there, deadset on repelling any threats.

"Chacha, please move."

She shook her head, determined to defend.

"I cannot do that."

I noted the claw mark on her cheek, and became frustrated with her.

"Stop being her servant! You are not a slave, you are a person!"

She frowned at me, and made one of the few demands of her life.

"I'll move, but you must tell me why you care about my freedom."

"I can't answer that."

She looked me in the eye, her face one of conflicted feelings.

"Then I will protect my master, even if you must destroy me."

Frustration overwhelmed me, and I shot off a flame in the air, venting rage.

"I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU!"

"You won't have to."

Asuna tackled Chachamaru, her pactio activated by Negi. She turned to me while wrestling with the gynoid.

"Do it, get that thing out of her!"

I opened a tear to the still-squirming vampire's soul, seeing the seed. It was Gluttony, the fat bloated parasite latched onto her grey essence. I reached a fist of bark inside, grabbing hold and yanking it out. It squirmed, screeching as it was forced into a physical form. I squeezed, but it got out, crawling toward the writhing fight still going on between Asuna and Chachamaru. I was enraged, this stupid thing causing so many problems. I yanked it away, and plunged a talon into it, delighting in its pain. It finally tried at possessing me, like all of them did. I let it root down, finding its spot among the collection. I fell onto my knees, returning to human form. Chachamaru stopped fighting, running to her master, who was waking up.

"What... what am I doing here?"

I laughed, finding it all funny. I just saved the same person that had caused a lot of my problems in this school. Asuna came near me, looking nervous and tired.

"Hey, Kai, you don't look so-"

I fell facedown, the sandman taking me into his arms.

* * *

While Mahora's defenders recovered, Kazumi was inside her room, trying to stay awake.

"If I go to sleep, the next memory will appear, and I can't go through that again."

She struggled, her eyelids too heavy to keep open.

"It's fine, I can stay awake with my eyes closed. It'll be easy."

As time passed, she thought about many things. Her webpage, grades, Negi, life in general. The one thing that she was avoiding was the thought of Kai Fukuda.

"It's all ok. I'll just go get a coffee. Satomi can help me out."

She opened her eyes to the haze of memory, having fallen asleep without realizing.

"Oh, no."

She was in a large, luxurious home, this time. She could see Kai, coming down the stairs, looking tired and worn out, with money clenched tightly in one fist. It didn't take Kazumi long to deduce what had happened. A maid appeared from the kitchen doorway, looking distraught.

"Hey, are you... hungry?"

Kai turned, and Kazumi noticed a glassy, deadened look in his eye.

"Will you do things to me, too? It costs ¥2000 t-to have your way with me for an hour."

Kazumi had always had little to no personal qualms with knowing people's personal business, for the most part. But she felt dirty, watching all of this. This went beyond just a scoop, a background check. It was all wrong.

"No, no! I don't do that, I swear!"

The maid stepped toward Kai, who flinched.

"Then leave me alone!"

She stopped, her hand outstretched.

"Hey."

Kai focused on her hand, avoiding her eyes. She smiled, nervous.

"Would you like to see my violin?"

Kai was wary, and he shook his head, rushing past her out the door. Kazumi followed him, forced to run away from the fading edges of the memory. He was halfway home when he staggered, clutching at his heart. His breathing became labored, and his eyes were wide open, as he felt his life flicker.

"Not... now."

Kazumi instinctively made an effort to help him, only to pass through as expected. He stood there for a while, finally recovering, and started to walk again, reaching his destination some few hours later. The well-dressed man smiled at him, taking the money and counting it.

"5 hours, huh? Must be exhausted. Well go, get in your room. I don't need you right now."

Kai trudged toward his sanctuary, sitting in a corner with his knees drawn up to his chest. The memory became dark as he began to fall asleep, his eyes remaining half open. Kazumi wanted so bad to hug him, to let him know that someone cared. But, it was a memory, after all.

* * *

Meanwhile, Natsumi was in her room as well, battling her own anger. She wanted Kotarou to lust over her like he did with Bel. She looked at her underdeveloped form in the mirror, obsessing over the small details, straightening out her clothes, and considered stuffing her bra.

"That's the only reason he likes her. Just because of her big boobs. I want that soooo bad."

Her eyes flitted to the succubus's travel bag, wondering about her beauty kit.

"I could use some of that; maybe he would like me a little with HER makeup."

Natsumi dug through the bag, finding lipstick, mascara, and a variety of ways to enhance her looks. Strangely, they looked unopened, almost brand new. She was wary, but Natsumi just told herself that Bel had went out and bought them recently. She went back to the bathroom, kit in hand, and set up, ready for the chance to vie for Kotarou's affections.

"I'll have him for myself, she'll see. Kotarou must be mine."

Her red lips smiled at her from the mirror, and she felt it was earned. Natsumi looked sexy, and she knew how to act the part as well. It was time to show that new girl that Kotarou was Natsumi's man, and no one else's.


End file.
